Wildlife lovers exploring Malaysia might also want to take a short flight across the water to Sabah. As well as being home to the Batu Caves, whose exodus of hundreds of thousands of bats from the caves each evening is a mighty spectacle to behold, the region is also one of the best opportunities to see orangutans. Sightings in the wild are rare, as the shy and elusive animals, who've learned to fear humans, are likely to bolt at the sign or sound of people, leaving many travellers with just a glimpse of orange fur disappearing into the forest. For a close look, head instead to Sepilok Rehabilitation Centre, one of only three orangutan sanctuaries in the world. Orangutans are still essentially wild here, but they're fed by rangers and habituated enough to human presence to not mind being gawped at in fairly close proximity. It's a great chance to see adult and infants going about daily life, resting, eating, grooming, plus acrobatically swinging and dangling from vines and tree branches.